


Waiting For You

by TheNarratress



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Bookish, Booktuber, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29047323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNarratress/pseuds/TheNarratress
Summary: After moving in together, JinYoung discovers that JaeBeom has written an anonymous love letter. The thought of loosing his best friend to someone else make him realise that he feels more than friendship for JaeBeom.When JinYoung receives the exact same letter in the mail, however, he knows that JaeBeom must be feeling the same way too. The question is, who'll be the one truly confessing first?
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 3
Kudos: 77
Collections: JJP Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kimi_cchi134](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimi_cchi134/gifts).



> Hi everyone~
> 
> This is my story for the second round of the JJP Big Bang which is hosted by Leah on Twitter @jjpbigbang . 
> 
> For the event I partnered up with artist Zenny (@melofrio on Twitter). I'm glad that we got partnered up together as I got to know an awesome artist who's art I really like. Thank you for working with me and being so patient. Here is the link to their stunning art: https://twitter.com/melofrio/status/1357399796756041729?s=19
> 
> A huge huge thank you also goes to Tara for doing an amazing job as a beta reader. You truly help me grow as a writer. I will take all your tips to heart for my future projects.
> 
> Quick note for the story: The boys will be living in an officetel. An officetel is a type of studio apartment or studio flat in a multi-purpose building with residential and commercial units. The flat of the boys is heavily inspired by this officetel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV99f2ikq2k
> 
> Enjoy reading~
> 
> Have a nice day and stay safe
> 
> Narra

“We’re taking a short break so I thought I’d show you the progress we made so far,” JinYoung said in a chipper tone of voice while happily smiling into a portable camera. Slowly, he turned the lens away from himself to capture the officetel which his best friend, Jaebeom, and he would call home after all their things were properly moved inside. Most of their furniture was already set up, however, the huge amount of boxes still left to unpack hinted at quite a bit of work left for them to do.  
  
JinYoung quickly turned the camera around to capture himself again. With a big smile he sank into one of their new cosy armchairs before he pointed behind himself.  
  
“This will be where I’m gonna film most of my videos. We got ourselves a big bookcase for all our books. It’s not gonna be completely filled up yet, but hopefully it’ll be a good home for future books and make this wall look pretty. Once we stored everything away… and cleaned up a bit too... I’ll make an officetel tour video for you all. I hope to…”  
  
"A little help here!” JaeBeom shouted while struggling to keep a hold of an especially heavy looking box. In order to not drop it the elder pushed it towards a wall but continued to struggle with the heavy weight of the thing.  
  
Instantly, JinYoung put his camera down and ran to help his best friend. He reached out for the box and, even though he had seen JaeBeom struggle with its weight, the weight of it still took the younger by surprise. He let out a low humph before repositioning his hands on the bottom corners to fasten his grip on that heavy thing.  
  
“What’s in there? Stones? This is even heavier than our boxes full of books!” JinYoung complained, but JaeBeom just smiled and then signaled to the other with a nod that the box needed to be carried to the second floor of their officetel. With a sigh he took his first step upstairs while facing the stairs with his back.  
  
With a lot of complaints and cursing they finally managed to heave the box to the very top of the stairs where they carefully placed it on the floor. JaeBeom smiled happily before pushing it towards a built-in closet which was meant for additional storage space in their small flat.  
  
“I don’t think it took any damage. Jackson’ll be happy. He left his workout equipment in my care ‘til he returns from HongKong,” JaeBeom said after pushing the box into the furthest corner of their closet. A big smile spread on JaeBeom’s face when he reappeared and made his way back towards JinYoung who still stood close to the top of the stairway. With quick steps JaeBeom walked towards his friend, lowering his head in order to not hit it on the ceiling. He did that not because he was particularly tall but rather because the ceiling on their second floor was lower than one would expect it to be.  
  
Even though they’d seen quite a few officetels that had a low ceiling like this on the second floor, it still struck JinYoung as odd to have a big room that prevented an average person from standing upright. Apparently, most people use this kind of space as a bedroom, as sleeping doesn’t require a high ceiling. It still was unusual for the young student, as he had never experienced living like this. JaeBeom, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind and gladly took over the space for himself.  
  
“Let’s unpack. I think it’s best if we unpack ourselves so that the moving company can leave shortly after putting together the table and bringing up the two sofas to the second floor. Plus, I bet if they start putting our books into the shelf in a random order you’re going to pout all evening,” JaeBeom said, placing a warm hand on JinYoung’s shoulder and softly pushing the younger forward to guide him downstairs.  
  
JinYoung’s eyes began to light up at the mention of shelving his books… well his and JaeBeom’s books. It’s their collection now. The mere thoughts of the many books his friend owned that he hadn’t read yet made him smile gleefully. He couldn’t wait to explore all the worlds and adventures that awaited him within their pages.  
  
“I have been thinking hard about that. Would it be okay with you if I make a rainbow shelf? They always look pretty in photos and I think our flat will instantly look better with it too,” JinYoung asked almost breathlessly from excitement.  
  
JaeBeom chuckled softly and quickly tousled JinYoungs hair. Usually, the younger would complain about getting his hair messed up in the middle of the day but, as his thoughts were filled with all the different ways he could arrange their books, he instinctively leaned into JaeBeom’s touch instead.  
  
When they reached the bottom step, JinYoung immediately rushed towards the many boxes that held his most prized possessions. He hastily opened them and carefully took out one book after the next to place them in seemingly random locations on the still empty shelf. After he had placed the first batch he turned around and was surprised to see JaeBeom still standing where he’d left him. JinYoung slightly tilted his head to the left and stared at the elder in confusion. Why had JaeBeom not moved? Didn’t he want to start unpacking?  
  
JinYoung opened his mouth slightly to speak, but before he could even utter a single word JaeBeom began to clear his throat, grabbed the box that was the closest to him and carried it to the kitchen area. Once he made his way there he opened the box, ready to start unpacking it... but instead just stared at its content. Slowly, he closed the box back up before pushing it towards JinYoung.  
  
“More books,” the elder said nonchalantly after clearing his throat.  
  
JinYoung slowly reached for the box, looked at his friend and lifted an eyebrow. He took out a couple of books, but before he placed them on the still empty looking shelf, he allowed himself to glance back at his friend. JaeBeom had grabbed a new box and was now busying himself putting plates into the cupboards. The elder’s face looked slightly flushed to JinYoung. However, when JaeBeom moved and the younger took another glimpse at his friend's face it looked normal.  
  
The younger shrugged his shoulders slightly before he focused back at his current task.  
  
As an avid reader and booktuber he was used to constantly arranging and rearranging his shelf. There were no less than four videos on his channel where he did nothing but place different books next to each other to make them look pretty. It was a task he truly enjoyed and so the books practically glided to their destined spots on the shelf.  
  
When JinYoung reached out for his fourth box he quickly furrowed his brow. The box he’d pulled closer was much much smaller than the ones around it. It was so small that JinYoung would have assumed that there might be only four books stored in it. He was about to open it when he noticed JaeBeom’s name scribbled on one of its sides. Quickly, he held up the box and called for his friend: “Beom-ah, this has your name on it. I think it’s for the second floor. Might have been mixed up. Should I put it upst…”  
  
JinYoung wasn’t able to finish his sentence when the package was practically yanked out of his hands. JaeBeom held the small box closely to himself, his hands firmly gripping onto it. A hesitant smile appeared on JaeBeom’s face before he turned around and promptly took the few steps upwards to his room.  
  
“I’ll store it. It’s mine after all,” the elder yelled back at him as he departed the living room.  
  
JinYoung pursed his lips, confused by how Jaebeom had responded. His curiosity, however, was stronger than his displeasure and so he innocently asked, “Seems to be something important. What’s in it?”  
  
The elder did not give him a proper answer to his question. He simply said that it was nothing important, but given how JaeBeom had reacted once he had brought it to his attention, he knew that it was anything but. JinYoung tried to ask again, but when the other came back downstairs he simply smiled one of his warm smiles before continuing to place various kitchen items in their very few cupboards close to their stove. JinYoung tried once again, but when the elder didn’t react he knew that he wouldn’t get an answer... no matter how many times he would ask. Since when did they have secrets from one another?  
  
JinYoung huffed softly before he continued arranging their books all the while pouting. In the distance he heard the elder chuckle softly and he knew that the other must have seen him sulking. The audacity.

  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
The smell of warm and delicious Jjajangmyeon still lingered in the air when JinYoung threw himself into his bed on the first floor. A soft sigh escaped him, as his tired limbs finally found some well deserved rest. He quickly stretched himself out before snuggling into the soft layers of his blankets. There was nothing more enjoyable than a full belly and a well deserved rest.  
  
His fingers brushed the cold top of his night lamp, which instantly shed a soft light throughout his small room. It still was just a bare room without any kind of personality, but that would change soon, just like the rest of their flat. JinYoung was sure of that.  
  
A paperback was patiently waiting to be picked up from his night stand. It was one of the books he’d seen many times in videos of other booktubers throughout the year. Almost everyone he’d heard talking about this book liked it, and so he had picked it up as well. He hadn’t been able to read a lot of it yet though. Their moving to an area south of Seoul had taken up so much time that he barely had picked up a book as a result. Now, however, he’d have time to catch up.  
  
He grabbed the book and opened it to it’s marked place. His eyes eagerly flickered from one line to the next, devouring the story. In a short time he was completely lost within the story. Only when a soft knock reached his ears did he reluctantly detached himself from the breathtaking turns and twists of the plot.  
  
Looking up he saw JaeBeom standing in the doorway wearing a baggy t-shirt and flannel pyjama pants. It was very obvious that JaeBeom was beat and close to falling asleep right on the spot. A clear sign of that was that he was rubbing his eyes while also yawning quite loudly.  
  
“Good night!” JaeBeom said, while another yawn escaped him. A soft smile graced his face before moving away from the doorframe. Drowsy steps of bare feet hitting the floor reached JinYoung’s ears. Jinyoung followed the course of Jaebeom’s travels as his steps, crossed the living room, ascended the stairs to the second floor and then stopped once he reached the bed. JinYoung could hear the lights on the second floor click off and the rustling of blankets as Jaebeom settled into bed.  
  
JinYoung softly bit his lips while thinking of JaeBeom on the floor above him. He imagined JaeBeom’s strong arms wrapped around him, feeling the warmth of his friend lying close to him.  
  
Over the years they had often shared a bed. As friends of course. Never as anything more. It was, in a way, natural for the both of them, as they had been sleeping next to each other since they both were ten years old. It was innocent really.  
  
A sigh escaped JinYoung while thinking of their past and somehow he wished he would have asked if they could sleep together during their first night in their new flat. Maybe Jaebeom had hoped the same? It’s possible, isn’t it?  
  
JinYoung glanced at his book before putting a bookmark into it. With a sigh he put it back on the nightstand, got up from his bed and turned off his lamp. Darkness instantly wrapped itself around JinYoung. His eyes, however, adjusted themself quickly to the dim light from the street below, and so he was able to leave his room and cross the living room without bumping into anything. With light steps he took the stairs to the second floor. Once there, however, it got much harder to move around, as it was much darker in that part of their flat.  
  
A few steps past the stairs he bumped into something hard and heavy. A low curse escaped him and he instantly began to rub his now terribly hurting toes, which had taken the biggest hit while walking around in the dark.  
  
Light instantly flooded the room. JaeBeom stared at JinYoung through small sleepy eyes. A sheepish smile stole itself onto JinYoung’s face while he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.  
  
JaeBeom blinked sleepily before letting himself fall back onto his mattress. Lazily, he lifted his blanket. A clear invite to join him.  
  
With hurried steps JinYoung closed the gap between himself and JaeBeom and crawled below the blanket. JinYoung happily snuggled closer to JaeBeom, who instinctively laid his arms around the younger. A mixture of shampoo, soap and that distinctive JaeBeom smell reached JinYoung’s nose which instantly made him move closer. A blissful sigh escaped JinYoung before leaning his head onto JaeBeom’s chest.  
  
“Sleep tight,” JaeBeom mumbled sleepily while pulling JinYoung even closer.  
  
Jinyoung gladly leaned into the touch and immediately began to relax. Soon he would be fast asleep. His eyelids already weighed heavily and he started to notice his mind wandering to the wonderful place most call dreamland.  
  
It was then when he felt a gentle kiss on his forehead. However, he already was so close to sleep, that in the morning he would determine that it had been part of a lingering dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When JinYoung woke up in the morning he found himself alone.  
  
He rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked around. The room was foreign to him and it took him a while to remember where he was. Once the memories set in he pulled the blanket closer to himself and huddled in warmth, as the air in the room felt freezing to his skin. JinYoung allowed himself to stay like this for a few more minutes before he finally decided to get up.  
  
The sun was already high in the sky and filled their flat with bright wonderful light.  
A look at the alarm clock on the nightstand told him that it was already past nine o’clock.  
  
Next to the alarm clock he noticed a yellow sticky note. He instantly recognised JaeBeom’s handwriting on it. He picked up the note and started to read:  
  


_“I’m off to work. Wish me luck on my first day._

_Study hard! The next semester will start soon!”_

JinYoung huffed. Study? The next semester was still a bit away and JinYoung absolutely didn’t feel like going through the material, especially when there was a flat waiting for him to personalise and a new neighbourhood to explore. There were also quite a few video’s he’d like to prerecord to give him more time to breathe once uni started again.  
  
The young student put the note down on the nightstand determined to leave his friend a response once he had found his own stationery. While doing so, his eyes landed on the small box JaeBeom had been so protective of the day before.  
  
The box was half hidden under some clothes still needing to be put away and some other things that hadn't found a proper home yet. JaeBeom sure had tried to make the box blend in with his other things, but he’d underestimated JinYoung’s sharp eyes.  
  
The young student strode towards the box. Carefully, he pulled it from under the pile of clothes and then smiled triumphantly when he finally got a hold of it. He weighed it in his hand and stared at it for a long time. Curiosity was killing him. He wanted to know what was in the box. However, he also wanted to respect JaeBeom’s clear desire to keep the contents a secret. It was a moral dilemma. While he knew that it would be wrong to open it, not knowing the contents of the box would likely haunt him all day. He could already imagine himself putting the box down but returning to it multiple times during the day as his mind would not let it go.  
  
In the end he decided to open it.  
  
With a rapidly beating heart he pushed the carton top off the box. What he found inside puzzled him: a set of three homemade bookmarks, as well as a book and an envelope.  
  
JinYoung furrowed his brow and reached for the envelope.  
  
The envelope didn’t carry an address or a name. It was entirely blank. As the envelope was not sealed, he took a look inside and pulled out a letter. The handwriting on it was JaeBeom’s. JinYoung was sure of it, even though it looked slightly off in some parts and it wasn't signed with his name.  
  
JinYoung read the letter with curiosity. Once he reached the end, however, he slowly let his hand sink. For a while JinYoung stared blankly into empty space. His thoughts were running wild and feelings he didn’t like at all started to spread within him.  
  
He should be happy for his friend. After all, this letter was meant for someone who was very special to JaeBeom. Why was it then, that he felt sad and jealous after reading his best friend’s love confession to this nameless person?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick bookish notes:  
> Arc = Advanced Reader Copy - Free copies of the book. Usually given to bookish influencers (booktube, bookstagram etc.) for promotion and review before release

Jinyoung normally had no trouble submerging himself into the characters and storyline of a book. The one in his hand had a great plot and the writing was excellent, but he found himself reading the same page multiple times without absorbing a thing. His mind continuously reverted to the contents of the box he'd found in JaeBeom's room two weeks prior. The box that held a letter embracing JaeBeom's feelings.  
  
JinYoung had read the letter multiple times already. Reading it had become a new daily ritual of his. JinYoung knew that he was violating JaeBeom's privacy, but by the third day his obsession completely overshadowed his moral code. Despite multiple reads, he found no indication to identify the intended recipient.  
  
The letter held no name of the recipient and JaeBeom has not signed it either. The elder also had tried to mask his handwriting in the beginning. Once he reached the middle point of it, however, he had switched back into the handwriting JinYoung was so familiar with, making it clear to JinYoung that JaeBeom was the author.  
  
JinYoung had reached out to their shared friend group in the hope that any of them knew more but none of them have heard anything from JaeBeom about a secret crush. Most simply said, that the elder would say something once he likely felt comfortable with it or if things were getting serious. As JaeBeom was a private person, all were happy for him after hearing about JinYoung’s discovery. JinYoung, however, was anything but.  
  
Sure it was nice for JaeBeom to fall for someone, but JinYoung couldn’t help resent this other person. Regardless of who it was, the mere thought of JaeBeom being in a relationship with anyone made him angry. He was afraid. Too often had he heard and read stories about friends that became distant because one of them entered into a romantic relationship. He couldn’t imagine a life without JaeBeom. Not now and definitely not in the future.  
  
In his vision of the future JaeBeom and JinYoung would grow old together. Whenever they talked about the future it felt like JaeBeom had the same plan in mind. They’d even joked about having their graves next to each other. They had jested about this, but JinYoung secretly had hoped that once they were old this joke of theirs would become the truth.  
  
It was their friend Mark, however, who had pointed out that this way of thinking made him believe that JinYoung felt more for JaeBeom than mere friendship. At first JinYoung had denied this but after their conversation JinYoung couldn’t stop thinking about what Mark had said and wondered if he might be right about it. It’s possible.  
  
JinYoung sighed and glanced up from his book, eye drawn to their upper floor. He was tempted to get up from his comfy reading spot in their living room to sneak upstairs. A quick look at the clock, however, let him know that this definitely wasn’t a very bright idea. JaeBeom most likely was on his way back home and could walk through the door at any minute.  
  
Nothing would have changed from earlier in the morning when he last looked anyways. The box was no longer there. He’d noticed it was missing from its usual place the day before, and despite searching everywhere, wasn’t able to find it. Dread had filled JinYoung ever since, as he was unsure what this meant. Did JaeBeom confess to someone or did he just move the box to a different place so he would be able to grab it more easily later on?  
  
JinYoung didn’t know and that alone drove him crazy.  
  
Again, JinYoung forced himself to focus on his book but right after lowering his head and reading a few words, he heard the familiar sounds that their door lock made when someone was entering the access code. The lock confirmed the number combination right afterwards and the door swung open.  
  
JaeBeom stood in the door frame holding multiple packages. He was struggling to keep them all balanced while he was taking off his shoes but somehow managed to bring the pile of various sized boxes through the door into the living room. To JinYoung’s surprise he managed to place all the packages onto the yellow armchair next to JinYoung without a single one dropping onto the floor.  
  
“Wait! Why are you bringing in packages? I was home all day. Nobody told me anything about a delivery. I would have gone downstairs to fetch them if I knew,” JinYoung said instantly, feeling guilty that he had missed the message from their security office.  
  
“They’re from your PO box. I got a call today and thought I’d go and pick them up. I didn’t expect this many though. All worked out fine. It wasn’t that much trouble,” JaeBeom said smiling brightly at the younger.  
  
JinYoung simply stared at the pile of packages in pure shock. He couldn’t believe these were all his. For a while now, his viewers had been asking for an address so they could send him things. That’s why he decided to open a PO box after moving to their new home. In all honesty, he’d doubted anyone would truly send him anything. Especially since his viewership was mostly international and he’d only announced his PO box in a blog the week before.  
  
“That can’t be right,” JinYoung insisted, but when he grabbed the package closest to him he clearly saw that it was addressed to him. The younger stared at the address label in awe before putting it down again. He took another look at the packages next to him and began to count.  
  
Seven.  
  
Seven packages. All in different sizes and forms.  
  
“What do I do now?” JinYoung asked and looked up at his best friend who seemed to be enjoying the perplexed state the younger was in way more than he should.  
  
“Well, first you open them and then you say thank you,” the elder stated the obvious, which made JinYoung hit the other playfully.  
  
“Yah! I mean, do I open these on camera or not? I’ve never done this before,” JinYoung asked. JaeBeom simply shrugged his shoulders and turned away to hang up his coat, put his backpack down on the kitchen floor, and opened a cabinet to get a package of Ramyoen.  
  
As his best friend clearly didn’t want to help him with this, JinYoung started to look up how other booktubers handle similar situations like this. While watching a video of a bigger booktuber from Scotland he heard JaeBeom clear his throat. JinYoung’s attention shifted to his friend who was chopping a variety of vegetables while the water in the pan next to him began to boil. JinYoung glanced back down to the vlog of the booktuber, but when JaeBeom suddenly started talking he paused the video instantly.  
  
“My company found out about your channel today,” the elder said while continuing to chop vegetables in a quick but trained motion with one of the biggest knives they owned.  
  
“They had a look at some of your most recent videos, as they are currently looking to work with bookish influencers. They saw me in your vlog and asked me if you were interested in helping us promote a book that will come out fairly soon. Nothing is public about it yet, so you’d be one of the first to know. I have the ARC in my backpack because I’m quite sure you’re going to like this one, but I still wanted to ask first before giving it to you”  
  
JinYoung studied his best friend. A smirk found its way on his face while he said: “You brought work home! I’m curious though. If I say yes, what conditions are there?”  
  
“No conditions and no money. We’d give you the ARC to hold into the camera to say you received it from us in your next haul. You’re not even required to read it if you don’t want to. Knowing who wrote this book though, I’m quite sure it’ll be the next thing you’ll pick up,” JaeBeom said while putting the ramyeon noodles into the boiling water and sprinkling in the soup powder.  
  
Instantly the comforting smell of herbs and spices filled the air making JinYoung’s stomach grumble, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything since the quick breakfast in the morning. His mouth began to water, so he got up from his armchair and stood close to JaeBeom to have a look at the Ramyeon he was cooking. It was a simple pot of Ramyeon, but it absolutely looked delicious.  
  
JaeBeom added an egg into the soup and let it cook a while longer. He smiled softly when he turned around and found himself face to face with JinYoung. It was only then that JinYoung realised how close he had been standing to JaeBeom. His eyes widened slightly before smiling sheepishly and talking a step backwards. Failing to look behind himself first, he accidentally stumbled over JaeBeom’s backpack placed there just moments before by his flatmate.  
  
With a sinking feeling Jinyoung knew he was going to fall, but before that happened JaeBeom reacted and quickly prevented the worst. JaeBeom’s strong arms grabbed JinYoung mid fall and pulled him close. This, however, caused JinYoung to stumble forward and crash directly into JaeBeom, making the elder bump into the kitchen countertop behind him. Instinctively, JaeBeom wrapped his arms around JinYoung in the hope of stabilizing them both.  
  
The strong arms of the elder held JinYoung tightly against himself and even though JaeBeom’s clothes still felt a bit cold having just come in from outside, he felt the others warmth beneath them. Soon, JaeBeom’s warmth engulfed JinYoung making the younger instantly relax, and hesitantly wrap his own arms around JaeBeom’s waist while the other was continuing to hold him even closer. The familiar smell of sandalwood and slight peppermint reached JinYoung’s nose making him breath in deeply and close his eyes for a blink of a second to enjoy this fuzzy feeling that was building up inside of him. JinYoung’s heart widely started to thump in his chest. It was beating so loudly that he feared that his friend would hear the frantic beats.  
  
A sudden laughter made him look up.  
  
“We should be more careful,” JaeBeom said while softly chuckling.  
  
To JinYoungs surprise the elder did not let him go right away. He was glad that JaeBeom didn’t as he realised that he'd love to stay like this for a while longer. Despite his desire to linger a little longer in JaeBeom’s arms, he slowly let go of his best friend and took a careful and hesitant step back. With a soft smile on his face, he gestured to JaeBeom that he agrees before turning back towards the living room.  
  
JinYoung quickly held his hand against his chest in hopes that this might help calm down his racing heart. The thought of JaeBeom’s strong arms holding him close, however, encouraged his heart to continue thumping wildly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JinYoung contentedly put down his chopsticks and leaned back on the backrest of his chair.  
  
“Best Ramyeon ever!” he exclaimed before smiling brightly.  
  
JaeBeom grinned widely while picking up his last bite of ramyeon with his chopsticks. He blissfully munched on the still warm noodles before drinking the leftover broth in his bowl. He let himself rest against the back of his chair once the last piece of food found its way into his mouth too and quickly patted his now full stomach.  
  
“Now that you’re not hungry anymore. Do you want the ARC?” JaeBeom asked, while trying to suppress a yawn, a sign that he’d had a tough day.  
  
“Back to business I see. Admit it! This has all been part of your evil plan,” JinYoung commented and smirked playfully.  
  
JaeBeom laughed in response to that, and cleared the dishes. Returning from the kitchen, he had his backpack in hand. Without delay he unzipped the backpack and removed a paperback. The cover had no art on it. In fact, the cover was entirely red with the exception of the title of the book and author's name. A reddish circle at the bottom warned that the cover of this book was not the final one.  
  
The elder put the book on the table and pushed it towards. JinYoung who stared at it unsure what to think of it. The title of this book didn't ring any bells for JinYoung. When his eyes landed on the name of the author though, he gasped. With shaking fingers he grabbed the book and flipped to the last page to confirm the identity of the author. His heartbeat quickened when he saw the picture of Jeong YouJeong, one of his favourite authors.  
  
Quickly, he turned the book around to read the synopsis but before he could begin, JaeBeom began by teasing, “Well if you’re not interested…”  
  
“Don’t you dare!” JinYoung yelled while pushing the ARC close to his chest preventing JaeBeom from taking it away from him. This reaction, however, made JaeBeom laugh loudly and quickly close the gap between them. On his knees before Jinyoung, he roughly ruffled JinYoung’s hair while cooing the cutest ‘Aigoo’ ever heard, before getting up and returning to the kitchen to clean up.  
  
Stunned by JaeBeom’s cute behavior, JinYoung simply sat there and stared after his friend, who now began whistling an upbeat tune while doing the dishes. JinYoung began to pout only to smile softly shortly after as he refocused on the ARC. JaeBeom was right. This thriller would definitely be the next book he would pick up.  
  
“You should open those,” JaeBeom suddenly said which made JinYoung look up while blinking rapidly. At first he didn’t know what his friend was referring to, but then he remembered the packages JaeBeom had brought home earlier.  
  
JinYoung tenderly put his precious ARC onto the table, slowly got up from his seat and moved closer to the pile of packages on the armchair. He settled into his reading chair and grabbed the package closest to him. This one clearly held a book. The form of the carton as well as the Amazon logo adoring the exterior gave it away. He thoughtfully weighted the package in his hand. The temptation to open it was high. His fingers already held on to the small piece of carton which would allow him to open the package more easily, but before he zipped it open, he lifted his gaze to look at JaeBeom.  
  
“You really think I should open this now? I could open them tomorrow on camera when the lighting is better,” JinYoung suggested, but with a tone that clearly indicated that the curiosity was killing him and he wanted confirmation that it was okay to proceed now rather than to wait.  
  
“You could wait…,” JaeBeom remarked, “or you could also open them now so I can see what’s in them too since I was your delivery man”.  
  
JinYoung smiled and instantly ripped open the carton.  
  
The book within revealed one of the most beautiful covers JinYoung has ever seen. On it was the face of a young girl staring right at him. When he looked closer at it, however, he noticed that there was a second face hidden within the first one. Prominent white letters on the overall blue kept cover announced the title of the book, The Silence of Bones by June Hur. A note had been included with the gift letting him know the book was from one of his subscribers in the US.  
  
With a big smile on his face he carefully laid the book aside and picked up the next box. This one was a bit smaller than the previous one and didn’t seem to be coming from a company by the looks of it. The mystery piqued his curiosity, so he quickly opened it.  
  
The first items in it were a box of his favourite chocolates and a package of his preferred coffee. Seeing that made him all warm and fuzzy inside as there was someone out there who had picked up on these details he had shared about his fondness for certain things while watching his videos.  
  
There was no note attached to either item, so JinYoung glanced back into the package. What he saw there made his heart skip a beat. With shaking hands he took out three self made bookmarks and the very envelope he had held in his hands so many times over the past two weeks. With an ever growing anticipation he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter within.  
  
It was the same letter he had read so many times already. So many times in fact, that he knew it by heart by now. Nevertheless, he read it once again from beginning to the end.

  
_“Hi,_  
  
_Writing a letter shouldn’t be hard, right… Well, this one is._  
_I must have started and scrapped over a dozen letters to you. I've lost count how many times I tried to express myself perfectly, only to admit they were lacking in some way. Even this one falls extremely short of what I want to say._  
  
_The truth is… I’ve fallen in love with you. Truly and deeply._  
  
_The feelings I have for you have been growing for quite some time now. If I were to tell you when I finally admitted to myself that I was in love with you, you'd be surprised. I know you probably don't feel the same way about me. I have to accept that, but the truth is I still hope someday you'll see me the same way I do you._  
  
_I want you to know that someone in this big world treasures you._  
  
_You bring joy and light into my life and I’m so very thankful for that._  
  
_Love, def.cnvs”_

JinYoung stared long and hard at the signature. Two days ago, when he’d last read the very same letter, there had been none. It was a puzzle to Jinyoung why that signature had been used rather than his name or instead of leaving it blank altogether. JinYoung wondered if he would find this name in the comment sections of his videos and decided to look into this to see if that name cropped up at any time.  
  
JinYoung slowly lifted his eyes to look at JaeBeom who was wrapping up his work in the kitchen. Jinyoung surmised that Jaebeom would be particularly interested in his response to the confession, as opposed to the other packages.  
  
Taking a deep breath, JinYoung tried to calm down his racing heart. He never expected that this letter had been meant for him. That JaeBeom would confess to love him!  
  
A wide smile spread on his face and he had to bite his lips to prevent himself from full on grinning. However, his joy was too big to hide away completely, especially from his best friend.  
  
As if JaeBeom knew that JinYoung was thinking about him, he suddenly turned his face to look at the younger. Struttled by the sudden attention, JinYoung’s genuine smile fell. Not sure what he should do or how he should react. Stiffly, he held up the letter for the other to see.  
  
“I got a love letter in the mail,” JinYoung exclaimed shyly and then held up the bookmarks as well as the coffee and the box of chocolate before adding: “and these”  
  
JinYoung quickly laid them down on his lap before sending JaeBeom a forced smile. He felt like a deer caught in the headlight, completely unable to move or react properly when JaeBeom was looking at him now. This was not a natural reaction especially when it comes to the both of them. JaeBeom definitely will find this odd.  
  
JaeBeom put the now clean dish aside before joining JinYoung in the living room. A soft smile graced his face.  
  
“Can I see?” he asked before carefully taking the letter away from JinYoung.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JinYoung yawned before slipping under JaeBeom’s cover and laying down next to his best friend. He heard the elder chuckle softly before turning off the lights and wrapping the already warmed up duvet tightly around JinYoung so that they would stay warm during the night. The elders' arms lazily embraced JinYoung making the younger smile happily and move a bit closer to his best friend.  
  
With a blissful smile JinYoung nuzzled his head closer and was about to fall asleep when he heard JaeBeom mumble something under his breath. Curious as to what the other had said, he lifted his head to look at his friend but as it was dark and wasn’t able to see properly, he laid his head down again before sleepily asking JaeBeom to repeat himself.  
  
“I just… that love letter,” JaeBeom started but then hesitated to continue.  
  
JinYoung was waiting patiently for JaeBeom to continue. However, when the other still hadn’t said anything after what felt like minutes JinYoung decided to talk. “What about the love letter?”  
  
JaeBeom shifted around a bit but also slightly tightened his grip around JinYoung in the process. His muscles were tense which led JinYoung to believe that his friend was anxious.  
  
“It’s just… Do you think you know the person?”  
  
JinYoung stayed quiet for a while. Unsure if he should admit that he knew that it was JaeBeom who had written him that letter, he simply answered with a soft, “Maybe,” making JaeBeom visibly stiffen under JinYoung’s closeness. Jaebeom’s response made Jinyoung second guess himself and how he should proceed.  
  
JinYoung would love to let JaeBeom know that he knows that he had written that letter. But at the same time since JaeBeom seemed reticent to speak up about the letter JinYoung didn’t want to push the subject.  
  
“I had a look into the username. There was a YouTube channel with no videos, but no Instagram or Twitter account with that name. The person who wrote the letter wrote a bunch of lovely comments on my videos lately. He seems like a nice person”  
  
“He? How do you know?” JaeBeom asked, making JinYoung stiffen instantly.  
  
Jinyoung hastily tried coming up with a reasonable explanation for his conclusion. How could he justify his belief when neither the letter nor the comments referenced anything to hint at gender? He’d let the comment slip only because he knew who had been the author of both.  
  
After a moment of silence he softly said: “It’s… a feeling I’ve gotten from how things were written.. Might be wrong but… yeah…”  
  
He hoped that this explanation would be enough for his friend. To his relief it seemed sufficient, as JaeBeom began to relax a little bit causing JinYoung to smile triumphantly.  
  
Another yawn escaped JinYoung followed by him closing his eyes and nuzzling even closer to his best friend. He wanted to fall asleep feeling JaeBeom’s warmth close by that night. He felt his thoughts slow down and his breath began to steadily become deeper. Sleep wasn’t far away.  
  
JaeBeom carefully pulled JinYoung closer which made JinYoung grumble because of the sudden movement. However, once he felt JaeBeom’s warmth he instantly nestled even closer to his friend in response to that. It was then when JinYoung heard the elder mumble something again. Curious as to what his friend was saying he kept silent and listened.  
  
“One day, I’ll have the courage to tell you myself how I feel about you. One day…,” JaeBeom said while caressing JinYoung’s hair before gently pressing his lips on JinYoung’s forehead. A happy smile found it’s way on JinYoung’s face at the feel of those soft touches and promising words.  
  
JaeBeom was definitely a man worth waiting for. JinYoung decided to give Jaebeom the time he needed before openly confessing, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to encourage the other to find the courage sooner rather than later. He couldn’t wait to claim JaeBeom as his. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick bookish notes:  
> TBR = To Be Read - Basically books a reader decides to read in general or in challenges.

“You’re the most stubborn and idiotic person ever. You know that, right?” Mark yelled while throwing his hands into the air in frustration.  
  
The guests on the tables surrounding theirs fell silent and started to eye the group curiously. After a while, however, they began to pick up their own conversations again and focused on properly cutting and cooking the meat on their table grill.  
  
The sound of laughter and various discussions filled the air around them while the meat was sizzling over the heat. The delicious smell of various spices, soups, and meat lingered in the air and caused many empty stomachs to grumble in anticipation of the delicious meal.  
  
Mark hastily ruffled his own hair before he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He glared angrily at JinYoung who was sitting across the table from him.  
  
The tone as well as the stare made JinYoung flinch, which instinctively caused him to lower his eyes and focus his attention on one of the many side dishes that had been placed in front of him. YoungJae next to him started to defend his hyung, but JinYoung wasn’t listening.  
  
If he was honest with himself then he would admit that Mark was right. It’s been a full month since he had received JaeBeom’s love letter, and so far neither JinYoung nor JaeBeom had made a move in the right direction. There had been another package with gifts, as well as another short note, but JaeBeom still hadn’t confessed to JinYoung personally.  
  
JinYoung wanted to wait and give the other the opportunity to tell him himself, but so far nothing had happened. Not even when he started to mention the comments under his video as well as the gifts on an almost daily basis to the other. Doing that had actually caused more harm than good. Especially lately, as JaeBeom started to respond in an almost spiteful tone when he even mentioned any of it.  
  
In the hope that JinYoung’s friends might know more or would be able to explain why JaeBeom was acting that way, he had invited them to his favourite Samgyeopsal place in Gangnam-gu. However, after telling the others what had been going on for almost a month now they all had fallen silent… up until Mark had yelled at him.  
  
Mark sighed before he started speaking again. In a lower and softer tone of voice than before he asked: “I just… Why do you not confess how you feel? Your chances of getting rejected by your best friend at this point are close to zero. So why bring up the letters and all that crap if you could be more direct?”  
  
Mark picked up a yellow radish slice with his chopsticks and waited for JinYoung to answer his question. The later, however, simply shrugged his shoulders while continuingly staring at the side dish in front of him. Finally, he sighed and started to tell his friends what JaeBeom had said while he’d believed JinYoung was sleeping.  
  
“Why does it not surprise me that you two share a bed?” YuGyeom asked right after JinYoung stopped talking, which caused all their friends' eyes to linger on JinYoung. However, before he could give a response to YuGyeom’s remark, BamBam had chimed in to let everybody know that he definitely would have loved to continue to live without knowing JaeBeom’s sex life. To underline his statement he clasped his ears as if to showcase that he’d tune out from anything related to this subject. But when YuGyeom pushed a freshly prepared Samgyeopsal package onto Bambam’s mouth he lowered his hands and happily began to devour the delicious meal.  
  
“It’s not like that. Nothing ever happened. We’ve been doing that since we became friends. It’s actually not a big deal. At least not to us,” JinYoung tried to explain, but this only raised more eyebrows.  
  
“You both have feelings for one another which makes it… I don’t know… but this definitely does not sound like a friend thing anymore to me,” YoungJae said, before picking up another piece of meat that he placed, along with his favorite side dishes, on a big lettuce leaf to make a wrap.  
  
The other boys around him nodded eagerly too. Only Mark kept silent and continued to stare at JinYoung. Finally, he sighed and began to talk again: “Be honest with him. I think that’s the best policy. By the sound of it, he’s annoyed or even jealous about the letters and the comments. Maybe bringing those up just pressured him more too. Just… tell him, JinYoung-ah”  
  
“Or,” YuGyeom started while wrapping another Samgyeopsal package for himself, “you could say that someone else confessed to you. Like, you could say that I confessed. That might finally get him to tell you that he wrote those letters”  
  
Everyone blankly stared at YuGyeom and fell silent. After a few seconds, however, BamBam got up and excitedly clapped his hands.  
  
“This!” he exclaimed, “This I want to see. Please do this when I’m there.”  
  
“I don’t think that’s a good…,” Mark started, but instantly got interrupted by YoungJae who let everyone know that he believed that this could work, and that he wanted to be there too when JinYoung broke the news to Jaebeom.  
  
Unsure if his friends were serious with their suggestion or not, JinYoung looked from one to the other. BamBam, YuGyeom and YoungJae loudly started to speculate how JaeBeom would react and what he would say if JinYoung really did tell him that YuGyeom confessed. The three of them became so loud and hyper that they received a number of evil looks from the neighbouring tables. However, none of them noticed, and so they continued to make fun and celebrate their ‘brilliant’ idea.  
  
Only Mark and JinYoung still remained calmly in their seats. JinYoung was about to pick a piece of meat from the grill when he noticed that Mark put a bit of kimchi into JinYoung’s salad leaf which he had prepared to wrap the meat in.  
  
Thankful for the elders kindness, he smiled at him. Mark, however, did not smile back.  
“Just tell him, JinYoung-ah. It’s the easiest solution to all of this,” Mark told him again.  
JinYoung started to nod, as the elder was right. However, when Mark’s next word reached his ears he stared at him blankly.  
  
“If you have to tell him that someone confessed to you though, tell him that it was me. Not YuGyeom,” Mark said, and began to smirk mischievously.  
  
JinYoung blinked rapidly in confusion.  
“What difference would that make?” JinYoung asked to which Mark began to grin even wider.  
  
“Oh, there definitely is a difference,” Mark ominously said before turning his attention back towards the delicious meal in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was close to ten o’clock in the evening when JinYoung finally returned home. The upbeat song that was accompanying him on his way back home had been on repeat for half an hour. He whipped his head from side to side and mouthed along with his favourite parts of the song.  
  
He had just entered the number code on the lock outside of their officetel when once again his favourite part came on. He entered without a care in the world, beginning to sing along. With light steps he moved along with the beat while putting his jacket away and storing his bag in his room. He had just opened the fridge to get himself something to drink when he noticed someone sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room. It was JaeBeom.  
  
JinYoung fell silent, yanked the airpods out of his ears and stopped moving. A sudden heat rushed into his cheeks and JinYoung hoped that their lighting would hide the fact that he probably was blushing right now.  
  
With an amused expression on his face, JaeBeom lifted his hand to wave JinYoung over. JinYoung hesitated for a short moment before he walked up to the armchair next to his friend’s and let himself fall onto the comfortable furniture.  
  
JaeBeom had wrapped one of their big fluffy blankets around himself while comfortably sitting in the chair. A big steaming mug of tea was standing next to him. All in all it looked as if the elder had made himself one cosy and enjoyable evening.  
  
JinYoung took a quick glance at the book in JaeBeom’s hand and smiled. It was one of his favourites. For months he had begged JaeBeom to read it, as he desperately needed someone to talk about it. However, up until now the elder had shown no interest in reading the Romeo and Juliet inspired fantasy set in Shanghai in the 20s.  
  
With a wide smile on his face, JinYoung leaned forward to see how far his friend had gotten, but before he could even glance at the page, JaeBeom closed the book and laid it on the side table next to his deliciously smelling tea.  
  
JinYoung stared at the book in disbelief. Had his friend really just closed the book without putting a bookmark between its pages? He must have, as no mark could be seen. The younger opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. This, however, made JaeBeom smile even brighter.  
  
“I know where I am in the story. You said it’s a Romeo and Juliet story. That means we already know how this one will end anyway,” JaeBeom said, while picking up his mug of tea to take a sip.  
  
“We know nothing. It’s the first book in a new duology. Anything can happen,” JinYoung protested. But JaeBeom just grinned at that while taking another sip of his hot beverage.  
  
“You did that on purpose!” JinYoung whined, before grabbing the book JaeBeom was reading and holding it close to his chest.  
  
“Well, I knew which buttons to push to get a nice reaction from you. The publishing industry will be happy to have you once you graduate,” JaeBeom softly said, while leaning forward to get the book back from JinYoung.  
  
JaeBeom softly tugged at it two times before JinYoung finally let go of it. JinYoung starred after the book longingly before he got up to grab his current read from his backpack.  
  
As he was in his room already, he decided to change into his PJ’s and take his duvet with him to the living room as well, so he could be warm and comfortable in his reading nook too.  
  
When he returned he noticed JaeBeom’s curious eyes linger on the book he was holding. It was one he had recommended to JinYoung for his month's TBR challenge. JinYoung knew it was one of JaeBeom’s favourites and that the elder longed to talk about it as well. So far JinYoung wasn’t sure if he enjoyed the book though. If he was honest, he would admit that the whole premise of this book kinda freaked him out a little bit. And still, he didn’t want to put it aside. It was one of JaeBeom’s favourites after all.  
  
“I saw your reading vlog yesterday. Looked like you had a good time. It’s a pity that you’ll have less time to read, as the next semester is going to start soon. It’s going to be a hard one,” JaeBeom remarked to which JinYoung sighed heavily.  
  
“I know. I miss my morning reading hours already. Less vlogs of me sitting in this chair reading or in the coffee shop downstairs. I hope I’ll find time to read. A full semester without books… that’s just tragic,” JinYoung said while making himself comfortable. Once he was happy with his current position, he opened his book without delay to continue with the story.  
  
“That reminds me. I’ve got another comment from def.cnvs,” JinYoung suddenly said.  
From the corner of his eyes he noticed how JaeBeom stiffened. He kept silent for a while before putting his mug down with a loud thud. His previously cheerful expression was no nowhere to be seen and had been replaced instead with a frown.  
  
“I don’t like this,” he finally said, to which JinYoung looked at his friend in confusion.  
“I mean,” JaeBeom continued, “this could be anyone. You might imagine this person to be a certain way now, but he might not live up to that later on. If you ever meet him that is. He could be…”  
  
“It doesn’t matter who he is. Mark told me that he likes me today!” JinYoung interrupted his best friend, and instantly wished he could take the last sentence back.  
  
JaeBeom had become so heated and angry in the past few days about his self created online persona, that JinYoung didn’t want to hear it all over again. He hadn’t been thinking when he blurted out Mark’s name. In fact, he hadn't planned on playing around like that at all.  
  
A deep sigh escaped JinYoung, as he was unsure as to how things would continue from here on out. Playing this game could both help and harm him.  
  
JinYoung took a look at JaeBeom and noticed the other calmly sitting in his armchair while staring at him with wide eyes as if he was still trying to grasp what JinYoung had said moments before. Finally, the information seemed to have sunk in, as JaeBeom began to blink a couple of times while tightening his hold on his current read.  
  
“Mark?” he softly asked, to which JinYoung simply nodded.  
  
Suddenly, JaeBeom got up from his seat and began to fold his blanket. In a panic, JinYoung grabbed JaeBeom’s hand since the elder was about to turn around and leave him behind.  
  
“Where are you going?” JinYoung asked, to which JaeBeom turned towards him and began to tousle JinYoung’s hair.  
  
“It’s late. I’m going to sleep,” JaeBeom said before turning around to walk up the stairs. Once he reached the top he looked down at JinYoung again wanting to wish him a good night.  
  
Stunned that JaeBeom had left him there all alone he stared up at JaeBeom. No words found their way forward. Had JaeBeom given up? This was definitely not what he had wanted to happen. How on earth would he be able to fix this?  
  
However, when JaeBeom turned around and disappeared from JinYoung’s sight, the younger could have sworn that he had seen his best friend grinning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JinYoung quietly took one step after the other and suddenly found himself on the top floor of their officetel. His bare feet almost soundlessly hit the cold floor while trying to avoid bumping into anything. Only a few steps more and he would reach JaeBeom. However, just when he thought to have avoided all obstacles, his foot hit something that now slidered a few inches forward.  
  
The darkness around him instantly was chased away by JaeBeom’s night table lamp. JaeBeom sat up and stared at JinYoung expectedly. JinYoung, however, was not sure what he should do now. Should he move forward like he usually would or would Jaebeom like to be alone?  
  
JinYoung longed to move forward but, given his best friend's reaction to Mark's confession just a few moments ago, he wasn’t sure if JaeBeom would allow him to move closer. Never would he have expected JaeBeom to leave right after telling him the “news”. He couldn’t stand the thought that he might have lost JaeBeom because of that. All JinYoung wanted to do now was to set things right, and if that meant that he had to confess that he knew that JaeBeom was def.cnvs then so be it.  
  
JaeBeom smiled softly before lifting his duvet, as he usually did, to beckon the younger to join him. JinYoung didn’t hesitate and slipped under JaeBeom’s cover right away.  
  
The elder smiled softly while pulling JinYoung towards himself and holding him close. This made JinYoung sigh blissfully before leaning his head against JaeBeom’s wide chest. He quickly closed his eyes but then noticed that the light hadn't been turned off. This was unusual as JaeBeom would turn it off right away so they could fall asleep. Given that the light was still on, JinYoung assumed that his friend longed to clear things as well.  
  
When JinYoung opened his eyes again he noticed that JaeBeom was looking down at him with a loving expression on his face which made JinYoung’s heart flutter. Could it be that JaeBeom would confess to him now? Had his friend’s plan actually worked? But if it did… why did JaeBeom leave? Had he needed time to think about all this or had he just needed some time alone to gather the necessary courage to confess?  
  
With a soft smile on JaeBeom’s face he suddenly asked: “Mark, huh?”  
  
JinYoung’s heart instantly fell after hearing that. He was about to speak up and make things right, as he didn’t want JaeBeom to believe that he and Mark could actually become a thing. But before he could even open his mouth he felt JaeBeom brush his forehead with his lips.  
  
It had only been a short moment, but the feeling of the soft touch still lingered on his skin. JinYoung’s heart quickened. His heart was thumping so loudly in his chest that he feared that his friend would hear it. To calm it he took a deep breath, but when he felt JaeBeom’s hand gently caressing his hair he knew that he wouldn’t succeed in doing so anytime soon.  
  
“It isn’t… The boys and I were talking today and they suggested… I… JaeBeom, there isn’t anything between me and Mark,” JinYoung stammered. He pressed himself closer to JaeBeom and nestled his head onto JaeBeom’s chest. Out of fear how his friend would react, he’d closed his eyes. He expected JaeBeom to do and say a lot of things after that, but the low chuckle he heard took him by surprise.  
  
JinYoung slowly lifted his head to look at JaeBeom. A wide smile had formed on his friend’s face, and when he noticed JinYoung’s eyes on him his features seemed to soften. The elder quickly ruffled JinYoung’s hair before he began to speak. “I know, JinYoung-ah”  
  
JinYoung’s eyes widened after hearing that.  
  
“How?” JinYoung asked while he fisted the back of JaeBeom’s t-shirt and hid his now burning face in JaeBeom’s chest again.  
  
“It’s not that hard to guess. Especially since I know that Mark is madly in love with someone else,” JaeBeom said, making JinYoung fall silent. This was news to the younger, as Mark had never mentioned anyone he fancied before.  
  
“Mark and I were in the same situation for quite a while. We both had fallen for someone we feared confessing to,” JaeBeom said while tightening his embrace.  
  
“He was braver than I was and revealed his feelings… It didn’ end well. Mark wasn’t rejected. Not right away. But his crush left shortly after. Said he needed time to think”  
  
This made JinYoung push himself a bit further away from JaeBeom to look at him properly. His mind was trying to process this new information. How could someone leave Mark hanging like that? Space never was a good thing. Especially when feelings were involved. While thinking, however, JinYoung couldn’t help but wonder who Mark’s crush was. It was then when an unexpected and rushed goodbye came to his mind.  
  
“Jackson?” JinYoung softly asked to which JaeBeom began to smile sadly.  
  
“Falling for a friend is… hard. You don’t want to lose that friend because of it. You don’t want to mess things up. Especially when you are close. It feels impossible at times,” JaeBeom said in a low voice. His words were well chosen and hesitant.  
  
“It is possible though!” JinYoung claimed and moved closer to his friend again.  
  
“I… I know that you wrote me that letter. I found it shortly after moving in and couldn’t stand the thought of you being with someone else. I want to grow old with you. I want to be with you. I love you. I realised that. I was so happy when I got that letter from you. I wanted to tell you, but I heard what you said when you thought I was sleeping and wanted to give you time to…” JinYoung explained, but when he felt JaeBeom’s finger gently pushing his chin upwards so that they could look each other in the eyes he fell silent.  
  
JinYoung’s eyes quickly found JaeBeom’s, which caused a warm and fuzzy feeling to start spreading in his stomach. His eyes glanced a bit further down and got stuck on JaeBeom’s plump lips. The desire to lean forward and feel those lips on his started to form in JinYoung’s head, but once he realised this he averted his eyes. His cheeks were burning and he was sure that JaeBeom knew what went through his head just now.  
  
A tender smile greeted JinYoung when he dared to look at JaeBeom again. Once their eyes met, JaeBeom slowly leaned forward causing JinYoung to close his eyes. With a wildly beating heart he waited before finally feeling warm lips hesitantly brush against his. With a deep sigh JinYoung lifted his head a bit more and began to kiss his best friend.  
  
JaeBeom slowly slid his hands across JinYoung’s body and then rested his hand on JinYoung’s cheek eliciting butterflies. It was fireworks and butterflies all at once. This was heaven.  
  
In the past JinYoung has laughed at hearing people describing a kiss like this, but now he knew that there was no more accurate description. Not after kissing JaeBeom.  
  
A low whine escaped JinYoung when JaeBeom gently separated himself from the younger. JaeBeom fondly caressed JinYoung’s cheek and smiled at him.  
  
“So… you went through my stuff. What a noisy boyfriend you are,” JaeBeom said in a teasing tone before pulling JinYoung into a close embrace.


End file.
